Riot (V) (sometimes spelled as Riot-V) is one of those legendary bands that stayed under my radar for too long. This New York band has been around for a very long time. Since 1975 to be exact and back then they were simply called Riot. With the death of guitar fury Mark Reale in 2012 no members of the original line-up were left. That was when the name changed to Riot (V). Bass player Donnie van Stavern on the other hand has been with the band since 1986, so he has a very long track record.
Putting the band into one specific category is impossible. They continuously balance on a thin line between groovy hard rock, traditional heavy metal, synth-less power metal and unadulterated speed metal. A surprising cocktail, but one that tastes really well. The new album Mean Streets is once again such a cocktail, which you’ll happily drink in a single gulp. The fact that the songs were written over several years will also have contributed to the varied sound.
Fortunately, the “need for speed” is present in quite a few songs on this exceptionally solid album. It starts off great with Hail To The Warriors. Fast, catchy, melodic but ferocious where necessary, staccato vocals with very high notes that vocalist Todd Michael Hall achieves flawlessly and a guitar duel à la Judas Priest. It’s a top song that more than invites you to listen to the rest. I think a comparison with Judas Priest could be made more often. Love Beyond The Grave is a typical “banger” like Rob Halford and his gang keep on bringing with the greatest of ease. Before This Time ranks more in the category of power metal, mixed with a pinch of Iron Maiden, or even Wig Wam if you want. Higher seems to offer more of the same for the first minute but then fits in the melodic heavy metal box with another nice guitar duel. Nothing innovative but what both guitarists show is class! Title track Mean Streets taps from the same more than melodic keg but stays in your head.
Those who don’t feel like listening to a full album: stream Lean Into It because it just has all the styles in it. It starts off groovy – call it glam rock – only to change the tone a bit more aggressively at the back of the song, after the successful solo, and switch to a punk rock sound. Or how to add a lot of extra cachet to an average song after all.
They close with a mix of powermetal and Iron Maiden. No More is the name of that song, but I am actually counting on “much more” from these gentlemen in the coming years. The traditional yet varied metal on Mean Streets by Riot (V) did convince me to seek out all their earlier work. Another album for my top 10 of 2024.
Score:
85/100
Label:
Atomic Fire Records, 2024
Tracklisting:
- Hail To The Warriors
- Feel The Fire
- Love Beyond The Grave
- High Noon
- Before This Time
- Higher
- Mean Streets
- Open Road
- Mortal Eyes
- Lost Dreams
- Lean Into It
- No More
Line-up:
- Todd Michael Hall – Vocals
- Mike Flyntz – Guitar
- Nick Lee – Guitar
- Donnie Van Stavern – Bass
- Frank Gilchriest – Drums
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